Toward developing a semantic mash-up personal and pervasive learning environment: SMupple

Abstract

Personal Learning Environments have emerged as a complementary, even challenging, paradigm to Adaptive Learning Systems. One can argue that Pervasive Learning Environments aim at replacing the physical learning environment while Adaptive Learning Systems focus on replacing the instructor. We believe that amalgamation of these two approaches in a complementary manner, i.e. through setting an appropriate balance between learner and system control, is promising. Consequently, we consider mash-ups to be crucial for a successful realization of digital personal learning environments. However, mash-ups are also accompanied by critical technical and usability challenges. In this paper, we try to identify some of these challenges, present solution approaches from a conceptual point of view, and describe our Semantic Mash-up Personal and Pervasive Learning Environment (SMupple) proposal along with initial implementation and evaluation details.